RussianTroopstoStartGettingAdvancedAirDefenseSystemsin2016

The Russian armed forces will start getting advanced Buk-M3 air defense missile systems in 2016, the Air Defense Force's chief said on Saturday.

MOSCOW, December 28 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian armed forces will start getting advanced Buk-M3 air defense missile systems in 2016, the Air Defense Force's chief said on Saturday.

“We are now in the midst of planned rearmament to replace Buk-M1 with Buk-M2. We expect to receive Buk-M3s starting from 2016,” Maj. Gen. Alexander Leonov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station.

The Buk-M3 medium-range surface-to-air missile systems, a modernized version of the Buk-M1 system (NATO reporting name SA-11 Gadfly), features advanced electronic components and could be regarded as a completely new system.